# Why is a stalemate a draw? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 23, 2005, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-stalemate-a-draw/336963 "2005-12-23T12:42:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-stalemate-a-draw/336963/21 "2005-12-25T18:36:25Z")
> [@saoirse](#): > > I was actually hoping for something I could link to in an e-mail. I’ll turn something up, though. What? You can’t link to this thread in email? 🙂 Just cut and paste my OED cite. It’ll be up to them to go to a library and read it further, if they need to. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-stalemate-a-draw/336963/22 "2005-12-26T03:24:53Z")
I can do that, and also include a link to [chessvariants](http://www.chessvariants.org/historic.dir/historic.txt). It never hurts to have a second source. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-stalemate-a-draw/336963/23 "2005-12-26T17:59:25Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > :dubious: … if King can protect pawn. No chance of the king of stalemate where Black King is on 8th rank, 7th rank has white pawn, 6th rank has white king all on the same file. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-stalemate-a-draw/336963.md?page=1)